M Peerzada/ Bivek Mathur
Srinagar/Jammu, Dec 22:As India registers cases of the Omicron BF.7 variant that’s surging up in China, the Jammu and Kashmir Health and Medical Education (H&ME) Department has geared up and is closely monitoring the situation, urging people not to panic.
Administrative Secretary, Health and Medical Education (H&ME) Department, Bhupinder Kumar, said there is no need to panic and the department is monitoring the situation very closely.
“As per the guidelines of the Government of India, we will be doing genome sequencing of each positive case in order to know the exact variant of the Covid-19,” he said.
Kumar said they have directed all the concerned health officers and officers across the UT to alert the surveillance and test the suspected cases.
“All the teams have been activated. J&K has adequate COVID-19 vaccination coverage. We shall be vigilant and continuously monitor the situation. Our surveillance is prepared, and we have issued the required directives,” he stated.
The Administrative Secretary said they have discussed the strategies to tackle the situation and emphasized the need of ensuring a strict vigil over the situation besides keeping ready the infrastructure and requisite supplies to tackle with any such cases.
Kumar said the health department is going to establish two high-end genome-sequencing labs one each in Srinagar and Jammu for testing purpose.
“Very soon, we will be having genome-sequencing testing capacities also. The engineers have come for installation of the two labs. First, we will start the genome-sequencing in Srinagar and then within a week the same would be commissioned in Jammu also,” he said.
The genome-sequencing is the process of determining the entirety of the DNA sequence of an organism’s genome at a single time. The labs are aimed at early identification of new coronavirus variants and the labs would be a key component in the fight against Covid-19.
Director Health Services Kashmir, Dr Mushtaq Ahmad Rather said the directorate has been kept on preparedness mode. “All the mechanisms are being put in place like testing, isolation, patient care facilities have been kept in readiness mode,” he said.
However, the director appealed people that there is nothing to panic at this point of time and department is ready and prepared to face any eventuality.
“We will take all necessary measures that need to be done to tackle if the new variants of Covid-19 spread here as have been reported in some parts of the country,” he said.
He said it is important that people should follow Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) that were followed previously to help contain the further spread of the virus by using protective gears like masks and maintaining social distancing. “The mask should come back and we should take precautions,” the director said.
An official at Sheikh ul-Alam International Airport Srinagar said so far there has been no direction of testing at the airport and it is normal.
Director Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Srinagar, Dr Parvaiz Ahmad Koul has tweeted that Covid-19 is again in the news and people should avoid catching it.
“Masks, social distancing, hand washing, etc. help. Masks help you avoid other respiratory pathogens too that often circulate in winter months. Avoid Covid-19hospitalizations and severe complications. Vaccinations help. Panic is not the answer but caution is the key. Stay informed, stay safe,” he said.
Dr Naveed Shah, Head Department of Chest Medicine, Chest Disease Hospital Srinagar, tweeted that people need to take caution. “Better to be safe. No harm in taking precautions. We are already facing an influx of pneumonia cases. All may not be Covid-19. By following appropriate behavior can prevent them too,” he tweeted.
Meanwhile, at Lakhanpur, the entry gate of Jammu and Kashmir, the Covid-19 testing has not stopped ever since March 2020.
Chief Medical Officer, Kathua, Rakesh Mangotra said, “On an average we’re testing 150 patients every month at Lakhanpur. The current positivity rate is zero”.
When asked if individual car owners are being tested, he stated, “So far, we’ve just tested the symptomatic people.Those travelling in individual vehicles who have no symptoms are not being tested as doing so would cause others to worry. “However, once we obtain updated directions from the J&K administration, we will proceed accordingly.”
Parlour On whether any inter-state travel ban advisory has been issued, he replied, “so far no such advisory has been issued”.
At Jammu Airport as well, Sanjeev Kumar Garg, Airport Director, Airports Authority of India, Civil Enclave Jammu, said that the adherence to COVID appropriate behaviours has not been stopped till date even after achieving cent percent vaccination of the airport staff and other stakeholders.
He further said, “we’re also complying with the fresh advisory issued by the Union Health Ministry on Wednesday.
Asked whether random sampling of the international travellers is being done at the airport, he said, “random sampling has been started for international flights but for domestic flights, it’s yet to begin. We’re waiting for the fresh instructions”.
At Jammu Tawi Railway Station, which is visited by thousands of local as well as non-UT pilgrims and tourists every day, Station Director cum DTM, Jammu, Region, Northern Railways, Uchit Singhal said, “our staff has been making regular announcements note related to COVID appropriate behaviours, which include wearing of masks, maintenance of social distancing and use of sanitizers to repeatedly wash the hands”.
“Apart from this, a staff counselling meeting was also held today at Jammu Tawi Railway Station where the staff was asked to ensure strict maintenance of COVID appropriate behaviours in view of the rising cases of BF-7 sub-variant of Omicron,” he said.
“We’re also waiting for the fresh guidelines to be issued by the J&K government. Once done, we’ll follow the new guidelines in letter and spirit,” Mr Singhal further said.
Government Medical College and Hospital, Jammu, the premier institution that caters to hundreds of patients from the remotest regions of the UT every day, is also fully equipped to deal with any exigency arising out of the COVID’s new sub-variant.
A senior administrator of the hospital wishing anonymity said that the experiences of the first and second wave helped hospital administration learn a lot about the COVID necessities. “At this stage we’re fully prepared to deal with any emergency,” he said.
On testing, he said, “all the admitted patients who required specific medical interventions were put through COVID testing. So, we’ve not stopped testing till date”.
As far as infrastructure is concerned, he said, “we have dedicated 117 beds in the form of HDU (isolation) and one 42-bedded ward is fully prepared for COVID patients”.
“Our Liquid Medical Oxygen (LMO) supplies are fully functional, Oxygen Generation Plants (OGPs) are fully functional and our manifold oxygen plants are also functional in GMC as well as SMGS and Gandhi Nagar hospital, CD hospital, and Super Specialty Hospital”.
